Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

It's politics week at newmoongirls.com! Women have started to be powerful political players this election, with Hilary Clinton nearly gaining the Democratic presidential nomination and Sarah Palin as the Republican vice presidential candidate. As the only female currently on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is another example of a powerful woman in politics.

Ruth is the second woman to serve as a justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the country, made up of a Chief Justice and eight justices, all who are appointed by the President. Once appointed onto the Supreme Court, the justices serve life terms. They are only removed from their position by extreme situations such as death, or if they choose to retire or resign.

Ruth attended Cornell University for college, and then attended Harvard Law School. She transferred to and received a law degree at the Columbia Law School, where she later became the first tenured female professor. An influential voice of the Women's Movement, she has been involved with several initiatives to advance women's rights and reduce gender bias during her career. She founded the Women's Rights Law Reporter, which was the first law journal to focus exclusively on public policy in relation to women's rights. She also wrote a law school case book on sex discrimination and served as the chief litigator for the American Civil Liberties Union's (ACLU) women's rights projects. President Bill Clinton appointed Ruth to be a justice on the Supreme Court in 1993, where she has served for the past 15 years.

Check out newmoongirls.com this week to watch an interview with a female news journalist and read a girl's account of the Democratic National Convention. You can also read what qualities all of YOU want in a president and what questions YOU would ask the presidential candidates!